St John the Baptist

By the 1500s the quarry was almost worked out, and today the grown over remains, called the 'Hills and Holes', are an important nature reserve.

The church is close to the old quarry and is built almost entirely of Barnack stone. Its most famous feature is its Saxon tower, with all of the hallmarks of this type of architecture: long and short work, pilaster strips and triangular headed windows. Also set into it are tantalising pieces of highly decorative patterned stonework.

Surmounting the tower is an octagonal belfry and short cap or spire flanked by four little turrets. Dating from about 1200, it is one of the earliest spires in the country. The body of the church has Norman features, but a great deal of it dates from the later 12th and early 13th centuries.

There is also 14th century work, seen at its best in the lovely east window, while the south chapel is early 16th century.

There is much of interest inside the church, including a 13th century font. It is circular, delicately carved, and, standing on ornate little pillars, looks rather like a beautifully iced cake. Perhaps the greatest treasure here is a wonderfully well preserved Saxon carving of Christ, found under the floor in the 1930s, and presumably belonging to the original Saxon church.